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NAZI

Swedish neo-Nazis become more violent

Sweden's three largest neo-Nazi groups were busy in 2007 conducting 1,142 activities. The Security Service, Säpo, warns that Nazis are becoming more violent.

The magazine Expo has examined the activities of the National Socialist Front (NSF), the Swedish Resistance Movement (SMR) and Info-14 and found that neo-Nazi activities occurred in 19 of Sweden’s 21 counties in 2007. Only Kronoberg and Jämtland were free of neo-Nazi activities.

The most industrious neo-Nazis can be found in Stockholm, Västra Götaland and Skåne.

Over 60 percent of activities concerned the spread of propaganda. 30 percent concerned organized vandalism, meetings and concerts accounted for 4.5 percent and public demonstrations some 3.5 percent.

On several occasions propaganda actions ended in violence.

In Stockholm one SMR member was convicted of attempted manslaughter. Neo-Nazi groups could be connected to assaults, having a concealed store of weapons as well as attacks against anti-fascist groups.

According to Johan Olsson at the Swedish Security Service, while activities have not increased, violence has become more flagrant and weapons are more commonly used.

“This is a result of disagreements within the white power movement. There has therefore been a need to raise their respective profiles.”

NSF is the largest group and accounted for 68 percent of all activities, followed by SMR who carried out 24 percent and Info-14, 8 percent.